Christmas Angel
by SquirlK
Summary: Sequel to 'Spike's Angel'. You don't have to read that one, but it might help. It's Christmas and Spike makes a wish.
1. Default Chapter

Christmas Angel

Disclaimer: Saving all the pocket lint for Christmas. Owning nothing else.

Summary: Sequel to 'Spike's Angel'. You don't have to read it first but it might help.

Reviews: Yes, please. I'll put in a good word with Santa if you do. Readers rock but reviewers RULE!!!

A/N: Got inspired by all the cool Christmas stories being posted. Hope you like it.

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It was unseasonably cold in Sunnydale. Even Spike noticed the severe drop in temperature although as a vampire the cold didn't normally bother him. He made his was slowly to his crypt sipping from his freshly liberated bottle of Jack Daniels. It was one of several he'd frightened out of the liquor store clerk. He smirked as he remembered how scared the little man had been. Being able to scare humans was just about the only pleasure the blond vampire had left.

It was Christmas Eve and he was alone, quite possibly for the first time in both his lives. He'd spent Christmas with his mother every year he was human and then spent the next hundred years with Drusilla. Christmas with her had never been dull. The Christmas before last had been the final one with his dark princess and sometimes he still missed her. Alone was something Spike did not do well.

He pulled his leather duster closer to his shivering body and wondered vaguely if he should scare a little more blood from the butcher. His clothes had been fitting a little looser than normal lately. At last his crypt came into view and he let out a small sigh of relief. The last two years had been horrific for the blond vampire. Dru had dumped him for a Chaos Demon and then after she'd taken him back cheated on him with a Fungus Demon. He'd returned to Sunnyhell only to be captured by the Initiative and implanted with a chip that prevented him from hurting humans. He'd spent last Christmas tied to various chairs and bathtubs watching the Watcher and his Scoobies go through their Christmas rites.

Since then he'd fallen for the Slayer. Watched as she fell to her death saving the world. Acted as baby-sitter to a rebellious teenager. Seen Buffy resurrected by the witch and the rest of the sodding Scoobies. He'd let her use him as a punching bag among other things just so she could feel better about herself. Thinking back over the past year, he realized that his unlife royally sucked and that he'd be better off as dust.

She'd decided that Christmas wasn't a holiday she wanted to share with him. The Scoobies had resoundingly echoed that sentiment. Which was fine with him. He didn't want to be witness to all their silly Christmas celebrations, once was enough. Vampires didn't celebrate Christmas. At least not where humans could see them. Spike had never quite gotten out of the yearly spirit. It had been his guilty secret for as long as he'd been undead, shared only by Drusilla and no one believed her anyway.

He'd spent some time window-shopping downtown but since he didn't have money to buy gifts with, the activity only depressed him further. He'd decided long ago that Christmas gifts shouldn't be stolen. He'd wandered past the Slayer's house several nights ago and watched from the shadows across the street as Dawn directed the Whelp in placing twinkling colored lights around the roof. Hoping that the wanker would fall from the ladder, he was disappointed when the human's balance held.

Not for the first time, Spike wished with all his unbeating heart that Joyce were still alive. He missed her so much. Losing her had been almost like losing his own mother. She had visited him a few weeks ago when he'd been close to dusting himself. But he'd also been quite drunk at the time and had convinced himself since that it had been a delusion.

He let himself into his lonely crypt and made his way straight to the lower level so he could drink to excess and pass out. Hopefully it was a pattern he would be able to repeat as necessary until after New Years. He saluted his empty bed and upended the bottle, swallowing a large portion of the alcohol. He sat rather fuzzily on the side of the bed and kicked off his well-worn boots. He realized almost too late that he'd forgotten to remove his beloved duster. He stood up to rectify the situation, wobbling as he struggled with it. He celebrated his victory over the stubborn leather coat with another long drag from the rapidly emptying bottle.

Spike finally crawled into his bed and covered up with the red and black satin comforter. His head swam from the alcohol he'd consumed, swallowing the largest bottle of JD sold in just under an hour. He'd discovered the easiest way to oblivion was to consume as much as he could in as little time as possible.

His last thought before the room swam out of sight was voiced drunkenly into the empty room.

"I wish I'd never been born." His dark blue eyes fluttered closed as soon as the last syllable left his lips.

A bright light glowed in the corner of the room. The blonde who'd appeared in the light drifted silently over to the unconscious vampire. Her hazel eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she surveyed his too thin form. The empty alcohol bottle slid from his slack fingers and clattered to the floor. He didn't budge. She's seen him sliding downhill again shortly after her last visit. Her daughter had really done a number on this vampire's fragile heart. He'd convinced himself that her last visit was a delusion so she felt she had her work cut out for her again. His last utterance broke her heart.

She sat gently on the side of the bed, fairly certain that he wasn't going to wake up right away. Her warm slender fingers brushed softly across his broad forehead, smoothing the frown that seemed to be present whenever he slept. She suddenly realized how to convince him he was needed.

_Spike looked around. He couldn't believe what he saw. It was London. He recognized the house as the one he'd grown up in. Moving closer, he peeked in a window. His mother sat inside sobbing softly into an embroidered handkerchief. A man he recognized as his father came up behind his wife and put his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Tears sparked in his deep blue eyes as his mother continued to cry. What could have broken her heart so completely he wondered? He knew it had to be somewhere around the time he'd been born as his father had cut out shortly before his first birthday. The man had made sporadic visits until his death right after Williams eleventh birthday. The bitterness that little William had felt had never waned_.

_A hand landed lightly on Spike's right shoulder. He jumped as his entire attention had been on the obviously grieving couple in the house. Looking to his right, he was stunned to see Joyce Summers standing next to him. _

"_What's going on? What's wrong with Mum?" He demanded._

"_Come on. They can't see us." She said, taking his arm. They drifted through the wall, completely wigging out the curious vampire._

"_Anne, dear, don't take on so. We can try again. The doctor said there is no reason why you couldn't carry a baby to term. This little one was just not meant to be." Spike's father was saying._

"_But I so wanted this one. Did you see? He was so tiny. He never even took his first breath. Oh, my poor tiny William, I wanted you so badly. I'm sorry you will never know life, my small one." Spike's mother sobbed._

_Spike reeled in shock. Looking at Joyce, he grabbed her arm. "What's she blathering about? I didn't die. I lived. She raised me practically on her own when that wanker of a father left us."_

_Joyce shook her blonde head. "No, William. You wished you'd never been born. I'm showing you what the world would be like if you hadn't. Come on, there's so much to see."_

_Before the bewildered blond could utter another word, the scene changed. Flashes of his unlife appeared before his startled eyes, his unlife without him in it. Drusilla stayed with Angel and Darla. Dru had gotten cursed along with Angel and the resulting torment brought on by her soul caused her to wander out into the sun. She was dust before Angel could do anything. The loss of his Dru tore hole through Spike's heart. Time sped up as the years passed. Familiar events forever altered by the absence of one vampire._

_Soon they were standing in Sunnydale. Spike recognized the mansion as the one on Crawford Street that Angelus used. He knew this, Angel and Dru were going to raise Alcatha, but that couldn't be right. Dru was dust. They went into the room the big ugly rock rested waiting for Angelus to pull the sword and open the portal to hell. They saw the dark vampire torturing Giles. Without Spike there to stop him, the torture proved fatal for the Watcher. The loss of her father figure enraged the Slayer to the point that she was able to send Angelus through the portal, closing it. Spike noticed that the soul that Willow returned to his Sire did not make an appearance in this timeline. _

_Scenes flashed by, Buffy fighting, slaying but without the fire that Spike had admired from the first time he'd seen her. Dawn appeared and the fight with Glory replayed itself before Spike's horrified eyes. Xander was the one captured by the Hellgod. The torture she inflicted on the male Scooby proving fatal to him. The tower was built and Buffy was fighting Glory. But the fight was not as fierce as Spike remembered it being. It was as if she knew she couldn't win. Olaf's hammer weakened the skanky Hellgod to the point that she morphed back into Ben. Buffy then turned her back on the fallen man. Without Giles to smother the host human, the task of forever ridding the world of Glory fell to Willow. She ran a sword through the helpless human's heart. Running up the stairs, the Slayer was too late. The ritual had begun. Spike watched helplessly as the blood flowed out of his Niblet, opening the portal. They watched as Buffy took her swan dive off the platform, landing in a broken heap amid the rubble. _

_Tears flowed down Spike's thin face as he watched Dawn falter and fall on her way down the stairs of the rickety tower. They watched silently as her broken body was carried by ambulance to the hospital. They hovered as she healed and went to live with her father._

_Willow went off the deep end from killing a human, not even Tara could pull her out of her despair. The final straw was seeing Dawn alone in an unfamiliar bedroom, a bottle of pills in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in another. _

_Spike turned to Joyce and grasped her arm. "Please make it stop. I take it back. I don't want this reality. Please, Mum take me back." His distress was so great, he never even noticed that he called her 'Mum'. That was how he thought of her, she reminded him so much of his own mother._

_She enfolded her favorite vampire in her loving arms. "Shhhh. It's okay. You have only to wake up and everything will be all right."_

Spike bolted upright in his bed. Panting needlessly, he ran a shaking hand over his face, feeling the tears still on his thin cheeks. Looking around his bedroom, he jumped when he noticed Joyce sitting on the bed next to him. She put her arms around him again. He snuggled into her comforting embrace. Shaking badly, he backed up a little and looked into her kindly face.

"What just happened here?" He asked, his voice unsteady.

She ran a hand down his face, wiping away stray tears. "You wished that you'd never been born. I decided to show you what would have happened to everyone you care about if that wish had come true."

"It was a dream then?" He sighed in relief.

"Not exactly, Sweetie. It was more like an altered reality. The world as it would be without you in it." She told him gently. "I for one am very happy you decided to stay in the world you were born in. I know it's been hard. I wish I could make it better for you. I just want you to realize that I'm not a delusion. I'm always with you."

He moved back into her embrace, hungry for some comforting contact. "Thank you. I'm sorry I made the wish. I'll never do it again."

She held him tightly for a moment before letting him go. "It's Christmas and I believe you have some gifts to deliver." She said with a smile.

He looked puzzled. "But I didn't buy any presents. I didn't have any money. Christmas presents shouldn't be stolen. It's just not… right." He said, almost embarrassed about his very unvampire-like attitude.

Joyce laughed. "Let's just say they're from both of us. No one has to know that but us though."

Spike smiled. "Thanks, Joyce."

"I kind of liked 'Mum'." She said with a twinkle in her eyes.

He inclined his head. "Thanks, Mum." He said shyly.

She kissed his forehead softly. "Now go. Play Santa."

He bounded out of the bed and searched for his boots. Coming up with them, he opened his mouth to tell her something but she was already gone. He slipped into his boots and shrugged into his duster. He climbed the ladder to the upper level and found, to his delight, two plastic bags filled with brightly wrapped packages.

Spike tented his duster over his head to avoid the deadly rays of the southern California sun that never seemed to go away. Only to discover it was unnecessary. The sky was heavily overcast, letting him walk all the way to Buffy's house in complete safety. To his surprise, he was welcomed into the Christmas celebrations with few reservations. It turned out to be the best Christmas he'd ever spent.

Finis


	2. Christmas Spirits

Christmas Spirits

Disclaimer: All I want for Christmas is… Spike. But until then I own nothing.

Summary: A little more Christmas.

Reviews: PLEASE. Thanks. Readers rock but reviewers rule!

A/N: drookit duck: here's your update. 'Christmas Angel' was meant to be a one shot but you had to ask for an update so these people took over my computer and made this happen. I sat down to write another chapter of 'As I Will Be' and this is what showed up. Hope you all like it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed 'Christmas Angel' you inspired me.

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No one noticed the appearance of the two extra guests at the Christmas gathering. Well, almost no one. The blond vampire standing off by himself away from the others almost choked on the beer he was sipping. Quickly casting a hasty look around the room to see if anyone else saw what he did, he came to the conclusion that he was the only one afflicted with the ability to see them. After coming to that realization, he decided that the best way to cope with the unexpected development was to ignore the ladies as best he could. He was now suffering a severe case of the wiggins. He'd almost gotten used to the idea that Joyce would be with him, albeit invisibly, all the time but to see her there with someone he hadn't laid eyes on in more than a century shook him to the bottom of his well worn scuffed boots. He downed the rest of the beer in his hand and silently moved into the kitchen to get another one. He was still wondering what possessed him to even be there in the first place. It'd seemed like a good idea when Joyce told him to bring the gifts she'd provided. Now he was wondering why she'd decided to make her presence known here.

Dawn followed Spike into the kitchen wondering why he was suddenly acting so skittish. She liked the blond vampire and since her sister had been back, she wasn't allowed to spend as much time with him as she used to. She snuck up on him as he peered into the refrigerator searching for another beer.

"Little Bit, don't you know it's near impossible to sneak up on a vamp?" Spike smirked as he turned with an unopened bottle in his hand.

The teenager smirked back. "I know. But it's fun to try. Especially with a vamp as nervous as you suddenly seem to be. What's wrong? Santa leave you coal?"

Spike glanced around to make sure the teen was the only female to follow him into the kitchen. Relieved that they seemed to be alone, he sighed. "No, Bit. Santa didn't leave me coal. Santa doesn't visit vamps."

He opened the beer and took a long swallow. He had a sudden flashback of Dawn sitting on a bed with a bottle of pills in one hand and alcohol in the other. Slamming the beer down onto the counter with a shudder, he turned haunted blue eyes to the teenager he loved as a sister. Not that he would admit it. She was shocked by the expression in the sapphire eyes.

Putting a small hand on his arm, she gazed up at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Determinedly shaking the vision from his head, he looked at her. Oddly relieved that she was alive and well in front of him and not somewhere all alone. "Nothing Bit. Just remembering a bad dream." He told her quietly.

She nodded. For some reason she decided not to pursue the subject. Whatever had put that look in his eyes was not something she felt prepared to deal with. She gave him a quick unexpected hug and went back in to the living room.

He closed his eyes. A tingle trickled down his spine and he knew he was no longer alone in the room. Reopening his eyes, he saw Joyce and the last person he ever expected to see again, his mother. Without a word, he bolted for the basement door and flew down the stairs. He sought a dark corner and slid down the wall until he was as small as possible. He clamped his arms around his head and crouched there rocking on his heels. He'd turned his mother hoping to spend forever with her, taking care of her, but the demon he'd unleashed had turned on him and he'd been forced to stake her. Seeing her there had brought it all crashing back.

"Why? Why did you send me here? They don't want me. They're only tolerating me because I brought presents. I need to leave. I can't do this. I can't face her. Not after what I did. I killed her. Twice. It's Christmas, just wanted to spend a little time with them. The Slayer and the Niblet." He stopped babbling as the tingle returned to his spine. He lowered his arms and wrapped them around himself. He glanced up fearfully and saw that they'd followed him. A tear slipped down his too-lean face as the features of his beloved mother drew closer.

"Dear Heart, I didn't mean to distress you. We got special permission to visit today. I saw the altered reality that Joyce showed you and knew you would be having a hard time dealing with the memory of it." Anne soothed her son. Crouching down beside him, she ran a hand over his now-mussed platinum curls. "What have you done to your hair?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes that were identical to his own.

"M-mum? It's really you?" He whispered, unsure of whether this was a good thing.

She cupped his face with her hand. "Yes, it really me. I've missed you dreadfully. My son, my precious son, what have they done to you?"

He remained in his defensive crouch and turned his face from the one person he'd ever loved unconditionally. Now that he knew he hadn't condemned her to eternal damnation, he felt a little better but the fact remained that he'd murdered his own mother. It was an unforgivable act and he would be dust before he asked for the forgiveness he craved. She looked exactly as he remembered her. Her soft blue eyes and her loving smile were just the same and it was killing him to see her.

"William? Darling boy, what's wrong? Look at me. I came all this way to see you and you won't even look at me." She pulled his face back around and gave a soft cry at the bleak despair on his lean features.

"I'm the monster who killed you. You shouldn't even be looking at me. Why are you here?" Spike asked quietly, turning his face away again with a wrench.

"Sweetheart, I love you. You're my own darling boy and I know you didn't mean any harm by turning me. You just wanted to make me better and spend the rest of time with me. I got that. But, Dear Heart, I wasn't like you. When you turned me I became a demon without any humanity. You seem to have avoided that curse. You retained more humanity than other vampires. I didn't realize that it would haunt you for so long. Joyce has been guarding you and she tries, but really Darling, you make it hard. We're here because we wanted to make sure they were treating you right on Christmas. I know what Christmas means to you, what it's always meant. How you loved Christmas. I can't imagine that changing over the last century." Anne ran her fingers through Spike's tousled blond curls. Any doubt he'd had about whether or not this was his mother faded at her words. Only his mother would know about him and Christmas. Slowly he unwrapped his arms from around his torso. Pushing up, he stood and extended his hand to help her up. She held out her arms and he moved into her loving embrace with an unneeded sigh.

"Mother." He breathed. "I've missed you so much. I'm so very sorry for what I did." He stopped abruptly. He hadn't meant to say that. The last thing he would ever do was ask for her forgiveness, he didn't deserve it.

"It's okay, William. I love you." Anne held her beloved son tightly. "I forgive you."

He released her as if she'd turned into a cross. Pushing her away, he turned his back to her, he hunched over as if in pain. "You can't." He told her, refusing to turn back around. "What I did was unforgivable. So don't, just don't." His voice broke and he pulled away as she tried to get him to face her.

Joyce decided it was time to intervene. Their time was running short and she wanted to go back upstairs before they had to leave. "Spike. Stop being stupid. Nothing is unforgivable. If you are truly sorry for an act, then it is entirely forgivable. Your mother has just told you that she does forgive you. She knows how much you've regretted your actions. She also knows that you were not being selfish when you did it. You thought you were helping her. So accept it. Don't make me come over there." She warned him.

Spike turned his blond head toward the two women he loved so much. "Mother." He gazed at Anne. He turned his sapphire eyes to Joyce. "Mum."

He turned around fully and extended his arms. Both women walked into his embrace and held on tightly, showing their special vampire how much they loved him.

Joyce looked at his handsome face. "Now, can we go back upstairs? I think they're getting ready to open presents. Don't you want yours?"

Spike scoffed. "They didn't get me presents. They all hate me, except for the Bit. And Buffy wouldn't let her get an evil disgusting thing like me a Christmas present." The bitterness was evident in his voice.

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Upstairs, Xander looked around. "Were did Fangless go?"

Dawn smacked his arm. "It's Christmas. Can't you leave off the names? Just for today?" She asked heatedly.

The male Scooby had the grace to look abashed. "Okay, just for today." He promised the teenager. "Now, presents?"

Tara glanced around. "We really should wait for Spike." She observed quietly. "I got him a present so he should be here."

Willow looked at her girlfriend in surprise. "You got him a present? So did I."

Dawn looked around at everyone. "So did I. Is there anyone here that didn't get Spike a present?" They all exchanges surprised looks but no hands went up.

"Giles? YOU got Spike a gift?" Dawn squeaked. The Watcher removed his glasses and got out a handkerchief. Cleaning his glasses furiously, he nodded. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what possessed him to buy a Christmas present for the one being he disliked almost as much as he hated Angel. He'd been in the mall shopping and he'd seen something that he'd known instinctively the blond menace would like. The compulsion to buy it had been overwhelming. He'd almost forgotten it until just now. He'd picked it up and brought it with him without even thinking about it.

Buffy sat there thoughtfully. She'd gotten Spike a gift as well but couldn't remember just why she'd done it. She hadn't been surprised to see him at the door this morning even though she'd specifically told him he wasn't invited for Christmas. Their relationship was not the type to promote spending holidays together.

"But why did we buy him presents?" The Slayer asked incredulously. No one had an answer.

Dawn brought their attention to the brightly wrapped packages Spike had carried in with him. "He got us presents." She said.

Xander made a face. "Probably stolen."

"Christmas presents should never be stolen." The quiet British voice startled the entire group. "I have never in the entire time I've been an evil soulless thing have I ever stolen a Christmas gift." He continued before taking a long swallow of the beer dangling from his slender fingers. "So go ahead then, see what I got you." 'Kinda curious to see for myself.' The vampire thought with a tiny smile.

Dawn walked over and took Spike's free hand. Dragging him over to an empty chair, she pushed him down and took a place on the floor by his feet. "So, who's playing Santa?" She asked brightly.

"I'll do it." Buffy volunteered from her place by the tree. She began passing out the gifts, making sure everyone had at least one before handing them another. Spike was stunned speechless as she handed him the first one and then again when the second one was passed to him. He sat there looking at the gaily-wrapped packages in his lap without touching them.

Dawn noticed and pinched his leg. "Ow! Bit! What'd you do that for?" He yelped.

Anya paused from ripping open her own gifts. "Because you're supposed to see what you've been given instead of just looking at the wrapping." She stated.

Slowly, Spike picked up the first gift. Checking the tag, he noted the name of the giver in shock. "Watcher? YOU gave me a gift?" He asked in bemusement.

Giles ducked his head and worked at the tape on the box in his lap. "Just open it." He mumbled.

Spike did as he was told and ripped the wrapping off, dropping the item as his system received yet another shock. Shakespeare. The watcher had gotten him a leather bound, gold leafed edition of the complete works of William Shakespeare. He just sat there staring at it as if he feared it would disappear.

"Rupert." He breathed. "I don't know what to say." He picked the book up and opened it reverently, unaware of the total surprise on everyone's faces, especially Giles. He looked up, sapphire eyes shining. "Thank you."

Giles smiled, the first true smile he'd ever directed at the vampire. "You're welcome."

The gifts piled up. It occurred to Spike sometime in the middle of the whole thing that Joyce had somehow orchestrated the entire stack of gifts now piled up in his lap. Dawn had gotten him two packages of t-shirts, one red and one navy blue. She told him she was tired of black. Xander had gotten him a carton of cigarettes. Anya, a set of videotapes, the titles of which he'd immediately hidden from the teenager at his feet. Buffy had gotten him a new sword and Willow had provided him with a box of herbs and spices for his blood. Tara had the second most surprising gift, a book that matched the one Giles had given him but it was a book of poetry from the eighteen hundreds. He flipped through it to the index and was stunned beyond belief to see his own name listed, his human name that is. He was immediately gratified that no one knew his human name so she couldn't have possibly known he was published. HE hadn't known. His shocked blue gaze met Tara's amused smoky blue eyes. He closed the book sharply. Somehow she knew.

"Thank you. I don't know what to say." Spike told them all quietly.

Xander looked up from the leather tool belt that he'd gotten from Spike. "Spike, this is really nice. Thanks."

Anya squealed as she ripped open the envelope that had her name on it. Spike had given her a stock certificate from an up and coming computer company, almost guaranteed to make her money.

Giles looked up from the set of books he'd gotten from the blond vampire. It was a complete dictionary of demon languages. "Where did you get these? I didn't know they existed." He gazed at Spike in puzzlement.

Spike ducked his head. "I have my sources." He mumbled.

Buffy unwrapped the tiny box that had a tag announcing it was from Spike. She gasped at the delicate locket that dangled from the fine gold chain. She opened it and saw in shock that it had tiny photos of Dawn and their mother in it. "Oh my God, Spike." She stopped, unsure how to continue.

"As long as you like it, Pet." He said softly.

Dawn ripped her gift open. She'd also gotten a locket, different from Buffy's but just as lovely. Hers had photos of Buffy and Joyce in it. She gazed up at her favorite vampire. "Thank you." She breathed.

"You're welcome, Bit." He answered shyly.

Willow began hopping up and down in her seat. "Oh my Goddess! Spike, it's awesome! Where did you get it?" She held up the heavy crystal wand. She caressed its faceted length. "It's got a lot of energy. It's a positive source. A grounding wand. It helps channel good magic and repels black energy."

"Thought it would be helpful." Spike said the first thing that came to his mind. Privately he vowed to have a long talk with his guardian angel.

Tara was the last to open her gift from Spike. She gave him a long measuring look before turning her attention to the package in her lap. She gasped. It was an ancient text of magic spells. She carefully opened the leather cover. It was a book of good magic. All kinds of helpful spells were listed in the index. She lifted her gaze to him again.

"Spike, where did you get this?" She asked.

"I never divulge my sources." He smiled, shaking his head.

Everyone sat quietly for long minutes, each admiring the gifts they'd gotten from their friends and family.

Xander was the first to speak, as always. He'd never been good with silence. "So. Has anyone checked the turkey lately?"

Buffy and Willow rushed into the kitchen to find their dinner was perfectly cooked. They had prepared the side dishes earlier and put them on the back of the stove to stay warm until the turkey was done. They'd figured that by the time the gifts were given and opened, it would be ready. They began carrying dishes to the pre-set table and called Dawn and Tara to help.

Xander, Anya and Giles also went to see how they could be of assistance, leaving Spike in the living room alone for a minute. He got up and carefully placed his precious gifts in the chair. Walking over to the corner he'd been studiously ignoring while the gift giving was in progress, he glared without heat at his lovely guardian angel.

"Someday you're going to have to tell me where you got some of that stuff." He whispered. She shook her head in amusement.

"Never divulge your sources." She quoted.

His sapphire gaze stayed on her. "You guided them while they were shopping, didn't you?" He accused.

Joyce nodded. "Everyone except Anya." She admitted.

Spike laughed. "Kinda figured."

Anne placed her hand on his arm. "We must go now." She said sadly. "Well, I must. Joyce will still be with you, as is her job."

"My pleasure." Joyce corrected.

A tear slid down Spike's face, echoed by one trickling down Anne's. "I love you, Mother." He whispered brokenly.

"And I you, my son." She pressed a kiss on his lean cheek and disappeared.

Joyce wiped the tear from Spike's face, kissing the spot lightly. "I'll be here." She assured him and vanished from his sight.

Tara walked up behind Spike. "Are they gone?" She asked, causing him to jump a foot.

"Who, Glenda?" He sputtered.

She gave him a look that made him shift uncomfortably. "Buffy's mom and the other lady. She looked like you, is she your mother?"

He was stunned. "You could see them? Why didn't you say anything?"

She shrugged. "I knew they were here for you. I felt Mrs. Summers there while I was shopping."

He nodded. "Something else, isn't she?"

She grinned. "You weren't that bad of a poet." She told him confidentially, laughing as shock once more covered his face. "Dinner's ready."

"Did Buffy cook?" He asked fearfully.

She laughed at him again. "Come on." She led the thoroughly bemused vampire into the dining room.

Christmas dinner was a rousing success.

Finis


End file.
